 U.S. TROOPS GOT GAME
FedEx, the USO, and CHUCKERS LLC Join Forces, GIs Get Holiday Gift
Redding CA (December 10, 2003) – FedEx and the USO have teamed up with sporting goods manufacturer CHUCKERS LLC to get 100 sets of the new CHUCKERS recreational tossing game to Operation Iraqi Freedom troops.
Company President and CEO Charles Briggs, the game’s inventor, said: “This holiday donation offers our service men and women an off-duty diversionary pastime, a way to unwind and blow off a little steam by participating in the lively sporting game competition CHUCKERS provides.”
“Getting the games to the troops is a good fit with the USO mission of providing morale, welfare and recreation-type services to uniformed military Personnel,” said Tiffany Sefton, USO World HeadquartersCorporate Giving Coordinator. “CHUCKERS also brings our troops – a touch of home -- because it reminds players so much of horseshoes.”
 Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran and CHUCKERS player Army Specialist Joshua White told Briggs, “The game will be well received at barracks and R & R destinations because it’ll help reduce troop stress.”
He said, “CHUCKERS can also help ease high levels of down-time boredom in between assignments; the game will give us something to do, a way to disengage and have some fun. In Iraq, that’s a plus!”
As a way to boost morale White hopes CENTCOM and the media take a closer look at troop recreational opportunities in Iraq. He says, “Having a game like CHUCKERS to play can really help us shake the down-time-blues.”
The 21-year-old Army Scout is now at his parents’ home in Calif. recovering from severe shrapnel wounds suffered in a firefight near Samarra, Iraq, in September. Confined to a wheelchair and crutches, White plays CHUCKERS with family and friends as part of his rehabilitation efforts.
“I think besides the troops in Iraq, those in rehab would benefit from CHUCKERS; it’s a game most disabled would be able to play, it’s a lot of fun, and you can play outside or indoors,” he added. White says he’ll be up and about in six to eight months and back to work in Iraq if given the opportunity. The young man’s a fine representative of our military: he’s got game.
FedEx has covered all shipping costs associated with the CHUCKERS LLC donation. FedEx Freight got the games to FedEx Express in Sacramento from Redding, Calif., where they were airlifted to the USO Europe warehouse in Mainz-Kastel, Germany, repackaged and sent via military aircraft to the troops in Iraq.
Briggs credits FedEx and the USO for making the donation a reality. “Without their combined shipping, warehousing, and distribution efforts our troops wouldn’t be getting CHUCKERS,” he said. “As US citizens we can all be very proud of these two distinguished organizations.” Briggs says another 100 CHUCKERS sets are available for the troops if needed.
When CHUCKERS was presented on the QVC cable-shopping channel it sold more units in its time slot than their featured product of the day. This kind of response to CHUCKERS, plus calls, letters and e-mails inquiring about where the game can be purchased, encourages the inventor/entrepreneur to make the crowd-pleasing game available to families everywhere. Over the next few years CHUCKERS is to become a game-playing platform -- a complete line of family-oriented recreational games for players of all ages.
A typical reaction to the game’s ability to entertain players of all ages comes from a family in San Clemente, California (see others at www.CHUCKERS.com):
“ We offer our candid opinion on CHUCKERS: Absolutely fantastic! We are a family of RV owners and travel together. CHUCKERS is our evening time enjoyment. Everywhere we have played, other campers inquire into the game and how to purchase. We keep that info handy so that others can enjoy this sometimes, overly-exciting game. Thanks for a great campsite game.”
The Gates Family
Here at home Briggs says, “Five generations of a family, ages 7 to 87 plus, can participate in the same game (4 players/1 scorekeeper); that makes CHUCKERS a rarity among games – it’s special.” He adds, “Everyone can safely play and win at CHUCKERS because the game is age and gender friendly, and it helps solve the perennial problem of how to entertain groups of people at informal social functions.”
The high quality injection-molded plastic tossing game comes with two target boards, one combination scoreboard/disc-caddy and six low impact safety discs (low-impact discs allow the game to be played year-round, indoors or outdoors). Briggs says CHUCKERS is an ideal game for RVing, tailgating, backyard BBQs, family reunions, family and company picnics, scouting, boating and camping, NASCAR races etc. – a game for socializing with family and friends.
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